The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-05
OBITUARY.
Fx-yice-Prcsident William A. Wheeler Ex-
pires at Hts Home in Malone. n. Y

NJ
WATERTowN, n. Y, Juno 4.-Hon. William
A. Wheeler died at his home in Malone at 1910
this morning He remained in a comatose state
during the night and passed peacefully away,
without sign Of recognition of those about him.
The death Of Mr.. Wheeler was painless. and life
went out so gradually and quietly that it was
hard TO mark the exact moment of it's flight
Mr. Wheeler, whose vitality had been decreasing
slowly through the past six years, retained his
usual vigor mp TO perhaps six months ago. From
that date he failed rapidly. He was tortured
terribly by insomnia and neuralgia. and was
also afflicted with catarrh of the bladder. The
night of the 81 Of March last he was seized with
q chill. followed by sinking spell, and then by
fever. and for hours his physicians thought him
dying He never fully rallied from that attack,
and mind ard body wasted away together
There has probably been softening of the brain,
and for weeks he irrational. This brain
affection was the immediate cause of death. On
Monday last he sank into condition of uncon-
sciousness, from which he was never fully
aroused except for moment or two. Since
Wednesday he had not spoken or given any
sign of recognition of friends what was going
on around him. He had near relative in the
world TO minister to him during his illness or
watch by his death-bed. A number OF his de-
ceased wifes relatives and friends grouped
around his bedside when the sad hour came.
The approach of death was so gradual that il
caused no public shock even at his home, though
there is universal sorrow among the people.
Flags are ar half mast and EN- blems OF Mourning
are displayed.
The funeral will be held at / p. NJ on Tues
day. June z. at the CONGREGATIONAL Church. with
a sermon by the pastor, to whom Mr.. Wheeler
had been almost a second father.
A meeting of citizens held this evening,
and appointed committees to arrange for a citi-
zens' memorial service to be held on Tuesday
evening. at which the men who were the associ-
ates and friends of his youth and mature man
hood will voice their own and the commuuity's
love for him. President Cleveland, who is in
the Adirondacke, and within a few hours ride
of here, has been apprised of Mr.. Wheeler's
death and the time of the funeral.
hefoilowing telegram was received to-day:
FREMONT, o.. June a.
Mrs HAYES and have heard with deepest sorrow
Of the death Of our friend, MIR. Wheeler. will at
President Cleveland telegraphed
SAEANAc INN. New York, june 4.
Charles A. Burke. Malone, N. Y:
While sympathizing with the citizens of Malone in
their grief for the death of their distinguished fellow
services on Tuesday next. GROVER CLEVELAND.
William Almon Wheeler was born in Malone,
n. Y, June 30, 1919. His parents, emgrated
from Vermont, were early settlers of the viii
iage and people of moderate, If not poor circum-
stances. Mr.. Wheeler received in his boyhood
what education the schools of a newly -settled
Adirondack village could afford. Fitting for col
lege ut the age of nineteen he entered the Uni
versity Of Vermont at Burlington, but was I'M
able for lack of means to complete his course,
and left the institution at the end of his sopho-
more year. Upon retirement from college the
future Vice president studied law in his native
town, and at the age of twenty-five ad-
mtted to the bar. His first Office of trust was
town clerk of Malone, to which position he was
elected while preparing for the bar. He was,
during the same period, elected school commits
sloner and inspector of schools by the Wings of
the county.
Soon after the adoption of the State Constitu-
tion of 1876 Mr. Wheeler was nominated by the
Wings for the Office of district attorney OF the
county and elected. So satisfactorily did he
perform the duties pertaining to this Office that
three years later, in 1s49, and again in 1850, he
sent to the Legislature as Wing to repre-
sent the county in the lower house On return
ing from the Legislature Mr.. Wheeler gave up
the practice of law and accepted the position of
president of the Malone Bank. This position he
held from 1851 to 1865. In 1859 and 1860 he
served n member of the State Senate and was
chosen President pro tempore of that body. Here
he acquired that familiarity with parliamentary
law which distinguished him in the national
Congress-.
From 1854 TO 1865 Mr.. Wheeler in addition to
his other business cares, had under his charge
ns president of the boudhoders' board Of trus-
tees, the Northern railroad, now known as the
Oedensburg e. Lake Champlan railroad, and
was virtually its manager In 1860, upon his re-
tirement from the State Senate, he was chosen
to represent IL Congress. as Republican, Sias
Wrights old district. After serving one term he
again retired to private life, and occupied him
self with the many private business enterprises
which had grown up under his hands. In 1867
he was again called into the public service, this
time the representa- tive of his district in the
State constitutional convention held In that year
The New York constitutional convention OF 1867
was a remarkable body of men. Samuel j. Til
den, Thurlow Weed, Horatio Seymour. and
Horace Greeley were leading spirits In 1T, and
V~m1 - - Co. St0
members. Such was the record made by Mr.
Wheeler while presiding officer of the State
Senate that he was at once singled out as the
president OF the convention, and was chosen to
that high position with practical unaninity. So
Impartial were his rulings and such thorough
understanding of the great questions which came
before that body exhibited by him that
when he laid down the gavel he was recognized
as one Of the chiefs OF his party in the State.
From that time forth until his retirement from
politics, in 1880. he was the political autocrat or
northern New York.
In 1878 Mr.. Wheeler was returned to Congress
by his old district and was thrice reelected.
practically without opposition. During these
eight years of congressional life he served upon
the important committees OF appropriations,
Southern affairs, Pacific railroads and commerce.
being chairman Of the two last named. In 1875
Mr. Wheeler made chairman of the special
congressional committee appointed to investigate
the election frauds of Louisiana. and he made
his reputation national by the famous wheeler
compromise" which put an end TO the bitter
strife then existing between the political factions
of that State.
Mr.. Wheeler was never an orator. His work
; in Congress- done in the committee rooms,
and there he was indefatigable and Industrious
He often presided temporarily over the deliber-
atoms of the House, with marked ability, and
solicited by the opponents of Mr.. Blaine to
make the race for the speakership, but refused
TO enter the contest.
In the Cincinnati convention of 1876 Mr.
Wheeler received the ballots of the Massachu-
sets delegation for the nomination to the presi
dency. After the nomination of Hayes, he was
IN finr,f for tha uira
Conkling members of the New York delegation
tried in vain prevent his selection. but he was
nominated by acclarnntion over Theodore FIRE.
4 liughuyseu, Senator Hawley and Stewart L.
Woodford. When Mr.. Wheelers term
as Vice-president OF the United
States was drawing to its close
he was offered his old seat in the lower
branch of Congress, but he aspired to the seat in
the Senate and declined. He sought an election
by the New York Legislature to the Senate at
the time of the election of Thomas G. Platt, but
Mr.. Conkling's influence was thrown against
LII